Aired Jul 1, 2021
The Importance of Disco
Looking for ways to keep the conversation going about LGBTQ+ issues with your ERG, community group, or PFLAG chapter? Welcome to Something to Talk About, a series designed by PFLAG National’s Straight for Equality program to create conversation about LGBTQ+ issues. Each week we’ll offer an article on LGBTQ+ topics and suggest a few questions you can use to lead a discussion.Â
We hosted a conversation about this article as a part of PFLAG Connects and Something to Talk About Live on Thursday, July 1. Did you miss it? You can still watch it here!
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Article:Â The “disco sucks” movement and the cycle of white grievance that is still churningÂ
Source: The Signorile ReportÂ
Author:Â Michelangelo Signorile
Questions for Discussion:Â
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Were you familiar with disco’s roots in queer, Latinx, and Black communities? What do you think are the aspects of the music that made it so popular in these spaces?Â
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Signorile points to the “disco sucks” movement as not a rebellion against a genre because the music wasn’t enjoyable, but a larger issue of racism, sexism, and homophobia. Had you ever considered this as a factor in its waning popularity? Do you find his analysis to be a valid one? Why or why not?
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What is the legacy of disco both in the mainstream and specific to LGBTQ+ spaces? Can you point to artists and/or aspects of culture that have been influenced by disco music? Is learning about the music and the culture that created it an opportunity to educate around LGBTQ+ and ally history?
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